In this bold, cut-throat era of Super League, it was perhaps inevitable that coaches would come under pressure after only eight weeks of the season. With the league’s bottom four teams being thrown into what is essentially a relegation battle with the top four teams from the Championship, being marooned in the bottom four so early in the season is indeed a worry, albeit not terminal.
This defeat against bitter cross-city rivals Hull KR means Hull FC are now three points adrift of safety, and their coach, Lee Radford, is already starting to feel the heat. Just one win from their last seven games has resulted in his side plummeting to second bottom in the table.
Boos of discontent rang around the KC Stadium after this 20-6 defeat, which will undoubtedly have hit FC fans hardest of any loss this year. Losing to KR in any circumstances is bad enough, but FC were simply outclassed and out-thought by a side who have shot up to fourth in the table. People will scorn at the league table meaning too much after eight weeks, but those respective standings will hurt FC’s loyal and loud army of fans.
“We simply weren’t good enough,” lamented Radford after the game. “Monday is now huge; and unless we toughen up mentally between the ears, then the outcome just will not change. It’s a huge game, because tonight was unacceptable.
“The club has aspirations of making the top eight, but that was soft. You deserve to lose a derby on the back of that.”
More than 20,000 fans packed into the KC Stadium to see the 234th meeting between the sides, and it was the travelling army of supporters from the east side of the city who would ultimately head home happy. Inspired by the leadership and craft of their captain, Terry Campese, and the searing pace of the brilliant full-back Kieran Dixon, this was as one-sided a derby match as you are likely to see.
“These boys keep turning up for each other, and I thought we were by far the better team,” said the victorious coach, Chris Chester. “The effort was sensational and once we got into a commanding lead we looked strong. I thought they threw a fair bit at us, but we found a way to combat it. We’ve had 13 new signings come in and although it took a little longer than we’d have thought, we created enough opportunities to win two or three games.”
Hull FC’s insipid and uninspiring performance meant Rovers surged into a lead by the break that they never looked like surrendering. The only two real moments of magic in the opening half-hour came from the fleeting feet of Dixon, who twice broke the FC line to set up a brace of tries.
First, Dixon was halted close to the line by his opposite number Jamie Shaul, but the following play saw the talismanic Campese crash over to break the deadlock. It was a move that set the tone for the night, and soon after, Dixon was at it again – however, this time his break was good enough to see him cross the whitewash.
With Josh Mantellato’s two goals making it 12-0, FC needed a stroke of luck, and they got it when Leon Pryce pounced on a rare error from Dixon to reduce the arrears to 12-6. However, by the break the Robins were 12 points up again, as Shaun Lunt crossed after a mistake by Fetuli Talanoa.
That essentially made the game safe, largely owing to some stagnant attack from FC which barely improved after the restart. The second period yielded only two further points, from the boot of Mantellato, as KR coasted home in what ultimately proved the simplest of derby victories. These are testing times for Hull FC, but for their city rivals, the league table is a welcome early Easter present.
Hull FC Shaul; Lineham, Michaels, Logan, Talanoa; Pryce, Rankin; Paea, Houghton, Watts, Hadley, Minichiello, Westerman.
Interchange Bowden, Paleaaesina, Thompson, Cunningham.
Try Pryce Goal Rankin
Hull KR Dixon; Mantellato, Welham, Goulding, Sio; Campese, Kelly; Walker, Lunt, Allgood, Blair, Horne, McCarthy.
Interchange Cockayne, Larroyer, Donaldson, Burke.
Tries Campese, Dixon, Lunt Goals Mantellato 4
